\n\tEven the world\u2019s greatest climber can\u2019t scale a skyscraper slick with rain \u2014 especially without ropes or a safety net.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWorld-renowned rock climber and Free Solo star Alex Honnold<\/a> was slated to attempt a daring ascent of Taipei 101, one of Asia<\/a>\u2018s tallest buildings \u2014\u00a0at 9 a.m. local time in Taipei on Saturday, or 8 p.m. ET, on Friday \u2014 in an event broadcast globally as\u00a0Skyscraper Live, Netflix<\/a>\u2019s latest foray into live sports programming.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tBut as the sun rose on Taipei Saturday morning and revealed a cityscape drenched by a steady drizzle, it was clear the spectacle was in jeopardy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAbout 30 minutes before Honnold was originally scheduled to begin piecing his way up the base of the tower, Netflix revealed that the climb would be delayed by exactly one full day, in the hopes of clearer local weather on Sunday. The streamer said the decision whether to postpone was entirely Honnold\u2019s to make, since it was his life literally on the line.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cUltimately, this will be Alex\u2019s decision,\u201d a representative for Netflix had told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday. \u201cHow is he doing and how is he feeling about the conditions?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIt soon became obvious in Taipei on Saturday morning that Honnold was feeling his feat simply couldn\u2019t be done when his 1,667-foot target was slick with rain and whipped by gusts of wind.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re confident we\u2019re gonna have a great show here \u2014\u00a0we just need the weather to be kind,\u201d said Grant Mansfield, CEO of Plimsoll Productions, one of the companies behind Skyscraper Live. \u201cThat building is very climbable when it\u2019s dry, but when it\u2019s wet, it just becomes so slippery. Alex couldn\u2019t possibly climb it wet \u2014 even with ropes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDue to weather, we are unable to proceed with today\u2019s SkyscraperLIVE event,\u201d Netflix\u2019s official statement read. \u201cIt has been rescheduled for\u00a0Saturday, January 24 at 8 p.m. ET\u00a0|\u00a05 p.m. PT. Safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n The postponement underscores the real-life risk of Honnold\u2019s planned attempt.<\/p>\n \n\tNetflix says it is confident in Honnold\u2019s ability to return to ground safely, but it has taken the uncommon step of planning a 10-second delay<\/a> of its live stream of the climb \u2014 to give parents confidence that their kids won\u2019t potentially witness a real-life tragedy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have any concerns about profanity at all, but we want to make sure that we\u2019re responsible for our audience,\u201d explained Jonathan Mussman, Netflix\u2019s vice president of production for nonfiction and live programming. \u201cJust in case, God forbid, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tClimbing experts, and Honnold himself, have said Taipei 101\u2019s geometric structure makes for a relatively straightforward challenge compared to the technical complexity of many of his most awe-inspiring climbing feats, especially Yosemite\u2019s El Capitan, which was famously documented in the Oscar-winning Free Solo. But the building is nonetheless staggeringly tall, making the ascent something like a vertical marathon.<\/p>\n